Accumulator for flash-boilers.



PATENTBD JAN. 2K2?, 1907.y

H. LEMP. `ACGUMULATOR `PoR FLASH BUILERS.

APPLIUAT N D J f I0 .FILE ULY Z7 1901 2 BHEET8 SEBBT L A Inventor; "Hermann Lerma.

*BY ML/MM Qqblmy.

witnesses:

PATENT-ED JAN. k22 1907.

'AGCU'MULATOR PQR PLSHBOILERS.

yAFPLIOATIONFILED JU-LYZ'. 1901.

wthessesz 2 SHEETS-annu.

Inventor, Hermann Lamp,

Aung.'

,UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIGE.

l lHERMANN LEMP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW-YORK.

^ AccuMuLATon |=o|=1x- FLASH-Bomans.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN LEMP, a

` citizenl of the, United States, residing at cient in hill-climbing as com ared to those nary runnin employing water-tube or shel boilers,which have a considerable storage-space for steain. Flash-b oilers while not having such a s ace do have its equivalent-namely, a highlyeated mass of metal. In other words, the large mass of metal, being heated to a high temperature, is ready, up to a definite point, of course, to flash water into steam, roviding the necessary amount of water is orced into it. As

ordinarily constructed and arranged these boilers will furnish suiiicient steam to take the vehicle up ten and even .twelve per cent. grrades but when the gradient is increased to om fourteen to twenty per cent. it becomes necessary to help out the automatic Watersuplply system by means of a manually-actuate an automatic water-pump of suflicient capacity to supply the necessary amount of water at such a time, for it re uires high res sure, whereas the en in e an driving-w eels will be moving slow y, and the demand for steam, and hence for water, will be at a maximum. Such a pump, if used for ordinaryservice,`would supply water in great excess, and the energy Irequired to drive it would be .excessive from an economical standpoint. The loss in energy would be dependent upon the character of'there ulator employed; but in any event there wou d be af sacrifice in economy.

The present invention has for its object to provide an automatic system of water-sup ply which is so arranged that a certain storage capacit for water under pressure is provided that wi 1 when necessary au ment the supply from the automatic pump, t e latter being of suiiicient capacity to supply water for ordiconditions. The scope .of the invention Wil be more fully set forth in the description and in the 'claims appended thereto.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 27, 1901. Serial No. 69,902.

pump. It is impracticable to provide.

eccentric.

` is -dellvery-valve 20. The suction-valve is con- Patented Jan. 22, -190'?.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the main and auxiliary devices for feeding water to a boiler. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of an imrovedstorage space or chamber, and 3 1s a slight modification of said chamber.

1 represents the water-tank, and 2 a pump of an elastic type, wherein 3 represents the cylinder, and 4 the iston. Formed onor otherwise secured to t e cylinder are uides 5, and workin therein are rods 6 an 7. At the left-han end these rods are connected by the yoke 8, which in turn is rigidly connected to the piston 4. The right-hand ends of the rods are connected b a yoke 9, and between the yokes and guide by the rods is a sliding cross-head 10. To the cross-head is pivotally secured a connectin -rod 11, which in turn is pivotally secure to the lever A12. Mounted on the lever and arranged to engage with the eccentric 13y is a roller 14. The eccentric is mounted on a driving-shaft 15 or other moving part. In the present instance it is mounted on the driving-axle of a vehicle.

Between thecross-head and the yokeis a plurality of elastic buiers 16, the latter being separated one from the other by metal disks 17. In the present instance the buffers are perforated centrally, and extending through the erforations is the connecting-rod 11. back pressure on the boiler increases more and more of the piston-stroke is taken up by the buffers until nally when the` The ump is rovlded with a suction-valve 19 and a nected with the water-tank by means of a pi e 20', containing a throttle-valve 21, w 'le the delivery-valve is connected` with the flash-boiler 22 by meansof thepipe 23, the latter containing a throttling-valve 24. Under ordinary conditions the valves 21 and `of the single-acting type and I IOC 24 are.no.t usedandy only come into service when 1t 1s desired t'o--cut thel pump out of service.

The boiler consists of a number of turns or convolutions of pipe bent into any convenient sha e. The particular construction of the las -boiler is immaterial, the one shown being intended merely to typif-y a boiler of that class. The passage of steam from the boiler to the engine 39 is controlled the throttle-valve 25.

Connected in circuit with the pipe 23',

`leading froml the pump tolthaboiler, is an tical eect on the water-supply system, because `itWou-ld-contain suchla'small body of 25.-

"tially'larger tank on a-vehicle, for obvious air,` and it is-impracticalto use a substanreasons. By utilizing a= permanent body of hlghly-compressed air ina small accumulator I amenabled, however, to-attain the same effect as with alarge tank, and this by taking up only a very small amount of space.

vReterring to Fig. 2, the construction of the accumulator w1ll be described. 27 represents a casing of any convenient shape or size having a screw-threaded lower end, to which the base 28 is secured. The upper end of the casing is narrowed in to form a` neck, and this neck is screw-threaded to receive the ca 29. Mounted within the casing is-a flexi lebag-like structure 30, containin air under pressure. The up er end of the ag is provided with a neck w 'ch its into the neck of the easing and is provided with a stem 31, containing a .self-closing valve of any suitable type, such as are used for pneumatic tires for vehicles. The stem isv provided With a cap 32, for insuring the closure of the chamber; The base 28 is provided with acentral opening and is connected to the water-pipe 23.

It is important to provide means for separating the as or elastic Huid from the water; otherwise t e two will mingle and the gas or elastic iiuid wilLbe `carried out of the accumulator With the water. This could only [be remedied by admitting more as or' elastic fluid to the accumulator and is. o jectionable p because it demands additional attention on the part of the vehicle o erator.

Assuming that it is esired to place the system in o erative condition, the lexible bag 30 is sulbjectedito any given pressure, which may be two hundred and ity pounds,

-for example, and once thel bag is ut under pressure 1t is permanently retaine As the `inder.

pressure in the Water-pipe-23- increases above that of the accumulator, the' bag assumes the shapes illustrated in dotted lines.

`The lowest'linei indicates'the relatively low pressure, the intermediate linevthe higher pressure7 and the up er line a high ressure. The use of this exlbiie bag within t ceasing is a very desirable construction, as it prevents all leaks, and the ressure can always be accurate-ly determine The interior surface of the chamber is provided with rounded corners, so that all danger of cutting the bag is eliminated.

Referring to Fig..3,l have `shown a: slight modiicaticn oi the accumulator wherein a long piston 33, havinga suitable. packing 34, is substituted for theflenible-bag--SQ- TheI piston is rooved on its periphery 'to-further prevent t e passage of-air :or gas. from: the chamber in the upper end to the water and makes a working riti with the cylinder27. The packing 34 is of any-'suitable construction and isheld in placeby 'a plate 35. The up er end-of thecasing is provided with a va ve and cap 38, by means of." which the chamber maybe ,subjected to. air-pressure. rThe interior-of theI piston is hollowandlcommunicates with the interior'4 of; the f cylinder through the-pipe 36. water-pipe 23 increases the-piston is` gradually raised, compressing thex airf o1'.l gasin thc cylinder until a maximum' isi reached, when the upper end of the pipe-'Sdsisrikesthe upper en of the cylinder-27. Wihen'thisv happens, the greater part ef the'air or-gas is contained in the compession-chamber? in the piston, although a certain amountf iscontained in the space surrounding'the pipe 36 and between it and the u pery end of the cyl- It will be seen tlhat the air is confined in the chamber in the upper endlof the cylinder and that it is out of contact with the body of water, thereby preventing the water and air from mingling.

With vehicles emplo ing Hash-boilers relief-valves are em lo e which are connected to the water end) o?, the boiler, and it frequently happens that when the vehicle As theipressum in the IOO comes to a standstill the pressure in the 'boiler-tubes becomes so hi h that the water contained in the first en of thetubes isforced back intothe water-tank through said relief-valve. This meansl thatl a considerable amount of heat' units are lost, and,

furthermore, it requires additionalpumping Vto bring the boiler back to a normal condiv into .the accumulator; so that when the v.de, mand forfsteam is increased the hotwater conditions-.the relif-valvewillnot open, and

athe hot water from theboiler will-work back which was discharged' from theaboiler isreturned' to it instead. ofthe cold water from thetank. By'reason ofthis arrangement a certain saving 1in heat -u'nits is accomplished.

By supplementing the tankwith an extra. 'reservoir-o1- accumulator in which watermay flow from the 'boiler and' be maintained under pressuret/he system will more nearly resemble those using larger boilers, -sovfar as the storage capacity-'is concerned, without, however its attending danger, for the storage is'ta 'ng place 'in a place which is unaffected by the lire, and hence there -is no danger of explosionu- Mounted on the driving-shaft of the engine 39 is asprocket-Wheel which is connected by a chain with a s rocket-Wheel mounted on the shaft 15. T e Iatter mayfor may not carry the d''ivin -wheels, as desired.

By reason of t e combination and arrangement of parts I am enabled to provide a system of control for steam-actuated a paratus employing flash-boilers which wi l 'v automatically compensate for overloads for limited eriods of time.

W ile I have described the invention as applied to a water-supply system for the boilers, I desire to have it understood that it is also applicable to fuel-supply systems for burners.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of In invention, together with the a paratus which I now consider to represent t e best embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the inventioncan be carried out by other means. What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination, a llash-boiler, a pump for continually forcing water into the boiler when steam is being withdrawn therefrom,

an accumulator for supplying the boiler which is located between the same and the pump to receive water from either under certain conditions as to pressure, said accumulator containing a permanent weight of gas compressed to a normal predetermined pressure before the accumulator is placed in service, and means for decreasing the effective delivery of the pump when the pressure on the boiler and accumulator increases and for increasing said delivery when the waterpressure decreases.

. 2. Incombination, a flash-boiler, an accumulator containing a permanent Weight of gas compressed to a predetermined normal pressure before the accumulator is placed in service, means for confining said gas under pressure, a pump which continually supplies water to th'eboilerwhen the' systemvisinoperation, means for varying the effectiveA de- 'livery of the pump in 1nverse ratiowith the an uno structed flow'of Water fromthe boiler tion with 'the Apumpand boiler and is adapted boiler`- ressure, and a connection permitting to' receive water from either, the said -accumlulator "containing a"- confined body of gas compressed to-a normal predetermined-pressure, means for varying the'effect-ive delivery of the pump inversel' with the boiler-pressure; and a movable e ement in said accumulator separating said body of gas from the water.

4. In combination, a flash-boiler, a pum which delivers water to the boiler at a l times when steam is being withdrawn therefrom, means for decreasin the effective delivery of the pump when t e pressure in the boiler increasesand vlce versa, an accumu- "lator provided with means whereby it can be supplied with a body of gas under permanent pressure, connections between the accumuator and the pump and the boiler whereby the accumulator will receive Water from the boiler when the steam-pressure exceeds a predetermined -amount and will deliver water when the pressure falls again, and means 4for confining said gas under pressure and also separating it from the water.

5. In combination, a receptacle, an accumulator in constant open communication therewith whereby fluid ma flow from one to the other in accordance wit relative changes in pressure, and means for supplying fluid directly to the receptacle.

6; In combination,'a receptacle, an accumulator therefor, a constantly-open connection between them which permits fluid toV ilow from one to the other as the pressures vary', and vmeans for discharging luid to the connection between the receptacle and accumulator.

7. In combination, a receptacle, an accumulator therefor maintained under elasticlluid pressure, a constantly-open connection between them which permits fluid to flow from the receptacle to the accumulator when the'pressure in the former tends to exceed that of the latter, and to return whenthe pressure in the receptacle falls, and means or sup lying fluid directly to the receptacle. 8. T e combination of a flash-boiler, an accumulator therefor maintained under a permanent initial pressure, and a connection betweenthem whereby the pressure in the accumulator varies substantially in correspondence with that of the boiler due to fluid IIS being relieved to the former or returned' therefrom to the latter.

9. The combi-nmtion oli e ashfboilen. im `accumulator therefor maintained permenently under an initial pressure, a connection which permits fluid to'v pass freely between them due to relative dilerence' of' pressure, and a pump for supplying fluiddirectl'y to the boiler under normal conditions, and in conjunction with the accumulator when. the pressure is below normal.

10.'The combination of a flash-boiler, an accumulator therefor maintained under a permanent initial pressure, e source of Weten sup ly, a connection leading from; the source to t e boiler and to the accumulator, which permits Water to pass in either direction between the accumulator end boiler, and a variable-stroke pump. delivering Walter to said connectionaft a poi-nt between the accumulator and boiler.

L1.A The eombinetfion-e at sourceo webersupply, e flesh-boiler, e supplypipe between them-,a vaniablestroke pum -connected with said pipe and aidalptedfto elver water dir rectliy to the boiler, an accumulano; and a branch. supply-pipe exending from; said pipe at e point between the boiler aand the pump whereby Waller may enter theV aecumulalior either som the pum v or boiler when the ressuneftherein is be ow al certain point.- or ,ow thenefrorn to lnahe boiler when the boilerpressure is below that of; the accumulator;

witness Whereo li have hereuno-set my hand-this 23d' day of July,` 1-901'..

HERMANN LEMP;

Witnesses:

DUGALD MCK. MQKILLOE, Jenn Il ,WAinKnm 

